WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



147 



pine. Where the white pine grows it takes the ground to itself, 

 and but little of other timber is found with it. It grows in several 

 localities through the valley (Greenbrier). On Deer and Sitling- 

 tons creeks are 100,000,000 feet ; on Knapps creek and branches 

 another 100,000,000 feet; and Spice, Laurel, and Davys runs, 

 with Anthonys creek, and some outlying patches, would yield a 

 third 100,000,000 feet. This pine timber is perhaps a little 

 heavier than the Pennsylvania pine, but is soft and smooth to 

 work. It is generally a sound, red-knot timber, with remarkably 

 thin sapwood, often averaging not over half an inch in a lot of 

 1000 logs. As much as 40,000 feet can sometimes be cut on an 

 acre." * 



The timber of the limestone plateau, before referred to, was 

 distinct from that on the east and north. Mr. W. A. Mastin, of 

 "White Sulphur Springs, describes the limestone area and its 

 timber as follows : 



''The eastern boundary line of the principal limestone area 

 is, of course, the Greenbrier river as far down as Caldwell. Here 

 the river turns more to the west passing out through the lime- 

 stone and leaving an area of considerable size on its east and 

 south. The western boundary line of the area begins at Alder- 

 son, passes up Muddy creek, by the way of Blue Sulphur 

 Springs crosses the divide to Sinking creek and continues on in 

 that direction toward Trout Valley. 



' ' The limestone section produced excellent timber, free from 

 insect injuries and defects of every kind. It was nearly all hard- 

 wood, such as white oak, red oak, poplar, black walnut, hickory, 

 and some wild cherry. ' ' 



The third district lies in the mountainous sections of the 

 north and northwest, and is characterized by such species as 

 spruce, hemlock, yellow birch, and others that thrive at high al- 

 titudes. Even here, however, hardwoods predominate below an 

 altitude of 3,000 feet and sometimes higher up than this. Fol- 

 lowing is a list of trees and the number of each kind growdng on 

 1,000 acres on the head of Cherry river in this county. Locusts, 



♦"Resources of West Virginia" — Maury and Fontaine. 



